Yes, it's Full of Gibberish, Over-the-Top Hospitality and Self-Help Jargon. Yet I Truly Love Meghan's Festive Episode.
No considering the season, it's constantly hunting season for criticism on the Duchess of Sussex's Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. Commentators, from seasoned journalists to online pundits, have seldom found such common ground as when gleefully ripping the program's initial installments to shreds. The prevailing view was that a greater royal outrage had never been witnessed than the much-discussed pretzel-bagging incident.
Now, in the spirit of a holiday maverick, she makes a comeback once again with a "Christmas Special" (aka a Christmas special). However on this occasion, the dynamic has changed. The usual elements audiences anticipate – meaningless jargon salads, overzealous entertaining – are still present, but set of a yuletide episode, suddenly it all makes sense. The puzzle has come perfectly; it's a ideal seasonal storm.
By this point, Meghan has become the oddball family member at Christmas celebrations everywhere – offering unasked-for guidance, and supplying the occasional strange exclamation. ("I love spinach!" … "A tradition has to have a beginning." … "A tree is part of my memory and love of the holiday season.") She's quite a personality, but her aura is known and strangely comforting. And she appears happy enough; she's inflicting any harm.
She is aware her all subtle gestures, word and gaze will be picked apart and criticised, but nonetheless looks carefree and too blessed to be stressed.
It could be this is the only time in history where that well-worn saying – "Don't listen, it's pure jealousy" – could actually be true. Because, let's face it, all aspects in Meghan's Holiday Celebration is delightful. Admittedly, it's all awkwardly over-the-top, foolishness and flamboyant – but isn't that exactly what Yuletide is about? And the words she speaks might be absurd, but the example she sets genuinely looks impeccably styled.
Anything she sets her mind to, she accomplishes with panache. Her culinary efforts looks delicious, the holiday arrangement she makes is gorgeous, her gifts are nearly too beautiful to unwrap. Not a single thing is ordinary or ugly – including the way she ties her kitchen garment is stylish and elegant. She doesn't toss a meal in the oven, it "takes a twirl", and she creases wrapping paper like an paper-folding expert. She also seems to be genuinely relishing herself the entire time. How could any cynical observer not be won over, overcome by holiday spirit and left with a deep longing for handmade crackers or a vegetable display where greens is organized in the shape of a festive circle?
Meghan had a career in acting for a living, obviously, but even so, after the degree of scrutiny she has endured ever since she started dating Prince Harry, even a hypothetical offspring of Meryl Streep and Judi Dench would find it hard to appear this genuinely. Her refusal to change or even soften her shtick, even though it being so persistently, globally mocked, is strangely reassuring. In our volatile world, here is something we can rely on: Meghan will stay true to form, come what may. We will forever know our position with her.
If you're not yet convinced by what she's selling, a reminder that will certainly come as a comfort: you are not obligated to. We don't have the draft these days, and if there were, it would be doubtful to include viewing With Love, Meghan: Holiday Celebration. If, on the other hand, you choose to watch and are overcome with jealousy about her picture-perfect Christmas, there is hope either. Be you a royal or a data administrator, hardly any child completely grasps the effort and hard work their mum does in the holiday season. So you can take heart by imagining her children's faces when they unfold a handwritten message that says, 'I love you because you are brave,' from a homemade Advent calendar, instead of a candy.
